Console display mounting system

ABSTRACT

A shock mount to support the static weight of a housing while at the same time effectively attenuating shock or vibration imparted to the housing with the shock mount having a shock isolator for supporting the weight of the display and a bezel extending around the display with the bezel comprising a second shock an d vibration isolator that coacts with the first shock set of shock isolators to further attenuate shock and vibration forces to the system.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a mounting system and, more specifically, to adisplay mounting system that can coactively isolate a display from shockand vibration forces.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

None

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to protect equipment from shock and vibration forces shockisolators are employed that attenuate shock and vibration to a supportstructure to protect the equipment carried by the support structure.Typically, equipment such as consoles have integral visual displayswhich are isolated from shock and vibration as a whole console unit. Thepresent invention provides a shock isolation system that can separatelyisolate the display from shock and vibration, forces, yet can be made toappear as if the display is an integral part of the console. A furtherfeature of the invention is that the mounting system permits one toreplace the display without having to remove or replace a portion of theconsole since the display is removably mounted on the console.

The present invention can provide shock and vibration attenuationthrough the coaction of two separate shock isolators, a first shockisolator that supports the display on the console and a second shockisolator that peripherally surrounds the display and coacts with thefirst shock isolator to provide enhanced shock and vibrationattenuation.

Elastomeric isolators employed in the prior art are commonly formed intogeometric 3D shapes, such as spheres, squares, right circular cylinders,cones, rectangles and the like as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No.5,776,720. These elastomeric isolators are typically attached to ahousing to protect equipment within the housing from the effects ofshock and vibration.

Various elastomeric materials have been used, or suggested for use, toprovide shock and/or vibration damping as stated in U.S. Pat. No.5,766,720, which issued on Jun. 16, 1998 to Yamagisht, et al. Thesematerials include natural rubbers and synthetic resins such as polyvinylchlorides, polyurethane, polyamides polystyrenes, copolymerizedpolyvinyl chlorides, and poloyolefine synthetic rubbers as well assynthetic materials such as urethane, EPDM, styrene-butadiene rubbers,nitrites, isoprene, chloroprenes, propylene, and silicones. Theparticular type of elastomeric material is not critical but urethanematerial sold under the trademark Sorbothane® is currently employed.Suitable material is also sold by Aero E.A.R. Specialty Composites, asIsoloss VL. The registrant of the mark Sorbothane® for urethane materialis the Hamiltion Kent Manufacturing Company (Registration No.1,208,333), Kent, Ohio 44240.

Generally, the shape and configuration of elastomeric isolators have asignificant effect on the shock and vibration attenuationcharacteristics of the elastomeric isolators. The prior art elastomericisolators are generally positioned to rely on an axial compression ofthe elastomeric material or on tension or shear of the elastomericmaterial. Generally, if the elastomeric isolator is positioned in theaxial compressive mode the ability of the elastomeric isolator toattenuate shock and vibration is limited by the compressivecharacteristics of the material. On the other hand, in the axialcompressive mode the elastomeric isolators can be used to provide staticsupport to a housing, which allows a single elastomeric isolator to beplaced beneath the housing to support the static weight of the housing.It is the shear type of elastomeric isolators which are preferred foruse in the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A shock mount to statically and dynamically support the weight of ahousing while at the same time effectively attenuating shock orvibration forces imparted to the system with the shock mount having afirst shock isolator for supporting the weight of the display and anelastomer bezel extends onto a portion of the display with the bezelfunctioning as a second shock and vibration isolator that coacts withthe first shock isolator to further attenuate shock and vibrations forceto the system

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a console supported by two types of shockisolators;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 2—2 of FIG. 1 showingthe elastomer shock isolators and an elastomer bezel carried the supportstructure;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of the bezel in a tensioncondition to provide shock and vibration attenuation to the display;

FIG. 4 shows the support structure in cross sectional view with aremovable base about to be secured to the support structure; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a double triad elastomer shock isolator.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a console 10 having a display 13 supportedby the shock mount of the present invention. Console 10 includes asupport structure 12 and an extension 11 for holding a keyboard or thelike. Mounted to support structure 12 is display 13 which has an opaqueelastomer bezel 14 having a front peripheral lip 14 a secured to a frontface portion of the display 13 to provide an esthetically pleasingappearance over 360 degrees. Typically, display 13 can be any type ofdevice that presents visual information to a user.

FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of the console 10 showing thesupport structure 12 supporting a removable base 20. Removable base 20includes a mounting edge comprising a stepped peripheral edge 20 a toallow one to position the removable base 20 in a mating peripheralengagement with peripheral extension 12 a on support structure 12.

The sheet elastomer bezel 14, which extends around the peripheral regionof display 13, has a first peripheral end or display attaching lip 14 asecured to display 13 and a second peripheral end or base attachment lip14 b secured to removable base 20 through a set of fasteners 23.Supporting display 13 is a first and second elastomer mount 21 and 22.The shock isolators 21 and 22 each have a first end support surface anda second end support surface with the first end support surface and thesecond end support surface laterally offset other so that a force on thefirst end support is cantileverly supported to place the elastomer in ashear condition rather than a compression condition and a force on thesecond end support is cantileverly supported to place the elastomer in ashear condition rather than a compression condition. Elastomer mounts21, 22 are preferably of the type shown in my copending patentapplication Ser. No. 09/779,423 filed Feb. 28, 2001, titled DOUBLE TRIADELASTOMER MOUNT which is hereby incorporated by reference. Theapplication discloses an elastomer shock isolator that is positioned inthe shear or tension mode as opposed to an axial compression mode. Suchelastomeric isolators provide enhanced shock and vibration attenuatingcharacteristics in response to dynamic forces due to shock andvibration. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the double triad one-pieceshock isolator 30 disclosed in the Ser. No. 09/779,423 for providingshock and vibration attenuation while providing axially offset supportto an object. Isolator 30 is a one-piece two-tetrahedron elastomer shockisolator 30 that simultaneously isolates shocks and supports a staticload. Shock isolator 30 has a set of integral elastomer side wallsforming a first tetrahedron elastomer shell 31 with a tetrahedron shapedcavity 31 c therein and a second tetrahedron elastomer shell 32 having aset of integral elastomer side walls forming a second tetrahedronelastomer shell with a tetrahedron shaped cavity 32 c therein.

A central axis 33 is shown extending through an apex end 32 a ofelastomer shell 32 and an apex end 31 a of elastomer shell 31. FIG. 2shows apex end 31 a and apex end 32 a are smoothly joined to each otherat junction surface 39 to form the one-piece two-tetrahedron elastomershock isolator.

FIG. 1 shows the top tetrahedron elastomer shell 32 has a triangularshaped base end that forms a first support surface 32 b. Similarly, thebottom tetrahedron elastomer shell 31 has a triangular shaped base endthat forms a second support surface 31 b. The conjunction of the apexends of the two-tetrahedron elastomer shells provides an integral forcetransfer region between the triangular shaped base ends 31 b and 32 b ofthe two-tetrahedron elastomer shells 31 and 32.

In order to provide shear resistance the base ends 31 b and 32 b arelaterally offset with respect to the conjoined area 35 (FIG. 3) whichoccurs at the conjunction of the apex ends of tetrahedron elastomershells 31 and 32. That is, a line parallel to axis 33 that extendsthrough base end or first support surface 32 b does not extend throughthe conjoined area 35 between the apex of the two-tetrahedron elastomers31 and 32. Similarly, a line parallel to axis 33 that extends throughthe second base end or support surface 31 b does not extend through theconjoined area between the two apex ends 31 a and 32 a of thetwo-tetrahedron elastomers 31 and 32. Consequently, forces applied tobase ends produce shear within the elastomer. These type of elastomershock isolator which functions in the shear mode is more fully shown anddescribed in my copending application Ser. No. 09/779,423 is herebyincorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 2 shows the elastomer bezel 14 in a slack condition wherein acurvature of the elastomer bezel is visible. That is, bezel 14 issufficiently long so as to be positioned in a curved condition which isreferred to as mounting the bezel 14 in a slack condition. Thiscondition normally occurs around the entire periphery of the display 13when the elastomer bezel 14 is in the relaxed condition, i.e. acondition where the static forces are supported by the elastomer shockisolators 21 and 22.

FIG. 3 shows a portion of the removable base and elastomer bezel 14illustrating the condition when shock and vibration forces havedisplaced display 13. In this condition, due to downward displacement ofdisplay 13 relative to removable base 20, the elastomer bezel 14 is nowin a taut or tension condition. When the elastomer bezel is in a tensioncondition as illustrated in FIG. 3 further elongation of elastomer bezelis resisted resulting in the bezel 14 coacting with the elastomer shockmount 21 to further inhibit shock and vibration forces. That is, theelastomer bezel is sufficient flexible so as to offer little resistanceto flexing when in the slack mode but has sufficient internal integrityto offer substantial resistance to elongation of bezel 14 when the bezelis in the taut condition as shown in FIG. 3. At the same time the bezel14 provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance around the peripheralregion of display 13.

FIG. 4 shows a partial cross section of the support structure 12 and aside view of the shock isolated unit 30 with removable base 20 and bezel14. The peripheral lip edge 20 a of removable base forms matingengagement with the peripheral lip 12 a in support structure 12 a so auser can insert and mount the shock isolated unit 30 into the supportstructure 12. This greatly facilitates replacing a display that maymalfunction including any shock isolators since the shock isolated unit30 carries the shock isolator 21 and elastomer bezel 14 as a unitarycomponent. An operator need only secure the removable base 20 to thesupport structure with fasteners (not shown) and attach the displaypower cable 28 to the console.

While the display 13 is shown in a vertical mount the display 13 can bemounted in horizontal or any other orientation with the presentinvention.

The present invention also includes a method of shock isolating adisplay from a support housing by supporting a display 13 with anelastomer shock isolator 21 positioned on an interior region of adisplay 13. One can then secure first peripheral lip 14 a of elastomerbezel to the display 13. One can secure a second peripheral lip 14 b ofthe elastomer bezel 14 to the base 20 to thereby provide coactive shockand vibration protection to the display unit.

In order to produce coactive shock isolation one mounts the bezel 14 ina slack condition as shown in FIG. 2 so that the elastomer shockisolators 21 and 22 provide primary shock and vibration attenuation andthe bezel 14 provides secondary shock and vibration attenuation as thebezel is brought into a taut condition.

In addition, the invention can include the step of mounting of theelastomer bezel 14 and elastomer isolators 21, 22 to a removable base 20to permit the unitary removable and replacement of the display 13 as ashock isolated unit as well as the step of securing the base 20 to asupport structure 12.

We claim:
 1. The method of shock isolating a display comprising:supporting a display with an elastomer shock isolator positioned on aninterior region of a display; securing a first peripheral lip of anelastomer bezel to the display; and securing a second peripheral lip ofthe elastomer bezel to the support housing to thereby provide coactiveshock and vibration protection to the display.
 2. The method of shockisolation of claim 1 including mounting the bezel in a slack conditionso that the elastomer shock isolator provides primary shock andvibration attenuation and the elastomer bezel provides secondary shockand vibration attenuation.
 3. The method of shock isolation of claim 2including mounting of the elastomer bezel to a removable base to permitthe unitary removable and replacement of the display and the shockisolated unit.
 4. The method of shock isolation of claim 3 including thestep of securing the removable base to a support structure.